Colorful, refreshing, and sweetened with natural ingredients, these simple summer dessert recipes are the ultimate ways to beat the heat. Serve them at a party or for yourself!
What is your favorite type of dessert to make in the summer?
With the hot sunshine and long days, you probably want something ice cold or something that you can eat at an outdoor party.
No matter what your choice is, you'll find the perfect recipe in this list. Whether you're craving something fruity or you want something frozen, these 35+ simple summer dessert recipes are perfect!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🌟 About these recipes
What will you find in this list of summer desserts? There are more than 35 simple recipes for every taste, craving, and dietary needs.
You'll find everything from dairy-free ice cream to fruity popsicles and party-ready dessert bars and muffins.
If you need a sweet dish to feed a crowd, browse the list below. We even included both baked desserts and ones that simply need to be frozen for a bit.
And the best ones are the prize-winning fruity galette recipes. These rustic tarts will make you look like a pastry chef. But they're actually easier to make than a full fruit pie!
When you start dreaming about creamy ice cream, grab a bowl and whip up one of the recipes. You'll love them!
🍽 Serving ideas
With so many recipes in the list below, you'll find everything from classic desserts that taste tasty with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to sweet treats that are perfect for backyard picnics.
Almost all of these desserts will taste tasty at an outdoor BBQ and We have a bunch of recipes that you can make with them. Fire up the grill and make some juicy pesto steak or grilled bratwurst.
The fruity dessert bars will taste amazing with a savory grilled lemon pepper chicken. Or lean into the sweetness of summer fruits and serve them with some peach bourbon grilled chicken.
We have a bunch of milkshake recipes in the list, too! We like to serve a milkshake with American recipes like a BBQ Bacon Burger.
👩🏻🍳 Summer dessert FAQs
This depends on the type of dessert you're talking about. Store frozen desserts – like popsicles and ice cream – in the freezer. For the best results, eat them within 6 months.
Cold desserts that don't need to be frozen can be stored in the fridge. Eat them within a week.
When the sun is blazing, it's best to keep yourself hydrated. That's why frozen popsicles and ice cream are the best choices. They will cool you off while hydrating you at the same time.
What is a good summertime dessert?In the summer, make desserts with seasonal fruit. This is why pies like cherry and peach are so popular in the summer. Berries are truly simple to work with and you can easily make some fruity muffins with them.
What desserts can be made without an oven?We have a lot of no-bake desserts in this list. Look for recipes like freezer jam, popsicles, and milkshakes. Anything with a crust will need to be baked, so avoid those.
Simple summer dessert recipes
Simple Summer Dessert Recipes
Air Fryer Peaches
They have the sweetness of peach cobbler without all the extra baking and steps. Simply top the peaches with oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and melted butter. Then, air fry them until they are perfectly caramelized.
Air Fryer Pineapple
There are only three ingredients in this simple recipe. It tastes like candy, but takes simply a few minutes to whip up. And since it doesn't melt, it's perfect to take to the pool or outdoor parties.
Microwave Blueberry Crisp
Skip the oven and the wait time. This simple dessert crisp has all the same textures you love - the crispy oats and sticky berries. But it's ready in minutes!
Peach Mango Pie
Two types of extra-sweet fruit are baked in a buttery, flaky crust. They're bite-sized, making them perfect for parties or packing in your picnic. And since they're made with fresh peaches and mango, they're good for you too.
Blackberry Freezer Jam
Enjoy homemade jam without doing any canning. That's right! No hot baths or canning tools required. Simply mix the ingredients, put them in the jars, and store them in the freezer until you're ready to enjoy homemade berry jam on toast.
Simple No-Bake Cheesecake Bites (Vegan)
They taste simply like cheesecake, but use almond milk instead of cream cheese. And to make them taste even better, We used Biscoff cookies instead of graham cracker crusts.
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Vegan)
Savor the flavor of your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies as a dairy-free and vegan ice cream. It's simply as rich and creamy and indulgent but without the ingredients you don't want.
Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles
Two types of summer fruit combine in one sweet frozen treat. You can make them with Greek yogurt or keep it dairy-free and use your favorite type of non-dairy yogurt.
Dairy-Free Mixed Berry Ice Cream
If the flavor doesn't make you stop in your tracks, the bright colors will! We made this with a mix of raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries, strawberries, and blueberries. But you can choose any combination of berries that you want.
Simple Homemade Unicorn Magic Shell for Ice Cream Cake
If you're hosting a summertime birthday party, use this recipe to add color to your ice cream cake. You can either decorate it yourself or set up a DIY cake decorating station and let everyone decorate their own pieces.
Ice Cream Parfait
If you love homemade sundaes, then you've got to make an ice cream parfait. Every layer is completely up to you. Use your favorite mix-ins - berries, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or whatever your heart desires.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This simple cherry ice cream is both refreshing and satisfying at the same time. And you can easily make it vegan - simply use dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut milk.
Dairy Free Ice Cream Recipe: Boozy Chocolate Peanut Butter Floats
Skip the dairy and add the booze. These rich chocolate peanut butter floats are the ultimate dessert for special occasions.
Tropical Margarita Popsicles
These are a party on your tongue. The secret is using rested, or aged tequila. Mix it with some passionfruit, orange, guava juice, lime juice, and honey and you have party-ready popsicles.
Tequila Sunset Freezer Pops
With colors that resemble a summer sunset, these alcoholic freezer pops are perfect for parties on hot days. Be careful with them, there are two types of liquor mixed in with orange juice and cherries.
Ube Ice Cream
That purple color is all-natural, from the ube fruit, native to the Phillipines. It has an iconic flavor that will stick with you (and you'll start to crave).
Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This recipe is simply as indulgent and rich as the dairy ice cream, this recipe is also simple enough for beginners. Use either dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips - or both.
Simple Raspberry Sherbet
If you're looking for a frozen dessert that's naturally dairy-free, then make this sherbet. Raspberries, lemon juice, coconut milk, and sugar combine to make a creamy treat that you'll enjoy slowly, savoring every bite
Stracciatella Ice Cream
When you can't decide whether you want vanilla or chocolate ice cream, get both! This cookies and cream milkshake is a classic flavor that almost everyone loves.
Pineapple Mango Sorbet Recipe
Transport yourself to a tropical island! All you need is some mango, pineapple, sugar, lime juice, and a high powered blender. Every bite is pure bliss.
Cookies and Cream Milkshake
When you can't decide whether you want vanilla or chocolate ice cream, get both! This cookies and cream milkshake is a classic flavor that almost everyone loves.
Biscoff Milkshake
This simple dessert is basically two sweet treats in one. You have a rich and creamy milkshake filled with real Biscoff cookie crumbles - it's nutty deliciousness.
Coffee Milkshake
Cool off and wake up at the same time! This homemade coffee milkshake is better than anything you can get at a coffeeshop. And you can easily make it dairy-free, too.
Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins
Made with whole raspberries and white chocolate chips, these muffins are perfectly sweet without being overpowering. And you can make them mini size, too - perfect for summer parties.
Double Berry Chocolate Chip Muffins
It's simple use any type of fresh berries that you want in these homemade muffins. And the chocolate chips bring out the natural sweetness in the juicy fruit.
Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins
These fruity muffins are so high in fiber and nutrients that you can feel good about eating them for breakfast. Plus, the whole blackberries and sliced banana add flavor you can see.
4th of July Fruit Pizza
Perfect for any patriotic party or holiday, all the slices of this red white and blue fruit pizza are delicately sweet. It's an simple last-minute dessert.
Cherry Crumble Bars
There are three scrumptious parts that you'll fall in love with - the gooey cherry filling, shortbread crust, and brown sugar crumb topping.
Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
These muffins are so good for you that you can enjoy dessert for breakfast. They are both sweet and rich at the same time.
Cherry Galette
If you love cherry pie, then you'll love this simple baked dessert. The cherries pop with sticky-sweet juices as you bite into them. Top it with some ice cream to make it taste even better.
Mixed Berry Galette
Use your favorite combination of fresh fruit to make a patriotic red, white, and blue galette. Every bite is overflowing with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Blueberry Galette: An Simple Summer Dessert
Syrupy-sweet blueberries fill the open-faced crust in this simple homemade dessert. The truly surprising part is that there are only two ingredients - the blueberries and the pie crust.
Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies with Orange and Lime
Elevate your cookie game with this citrusy delight. Lemon, orange, and lime work truly well together, tasting both extra sweet and fantastically zesty at the same time.
Raspberry Crumble Bars
This simple recipe will take you back to your childhood. The raspberry filling is baked on a cookie crust and topped with a sugary crumble. It's a mouthful of sugar in the best way.
Strawberry Spoon Cake
This moist cake is filled with fresh strawberry slices. It's begging for a spoon - every bite is eye-poppingly tasty. Top it with whip cream and it will taste like a strawberry shortcake.
White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
The juicy red raspberries stand out perfectly against the homemade white cream cheese glaze. This is the perfect cake to make for brunch or casual get togethers.
Mini Vegan Cheesecakes with Avocado, Lime, and Pink Pitaya
If you haven't baked with pink pitaya yet, now is your chance. This vibrant citrus dessert shows off amazingly well - especially in lawyers with the green avocado lime cheesecake.
Pavlova Mini Cakes with Strawberries, Peaches, and Cream
These fruity layered desserts are begging to be shown off. Serve them at your special celebrations like a graduation or shower. This meringue dessert is made with cookies, perfect for indivdual portions.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make these recipes? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- ice cream maker or Ninja Creami
- ice cream containers
- muffin pans
- popsicle molds
- baking sheet
- air fryer
More dessert recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread- Game Day Appetizers
- Sugar Cookie Confetti Cake
- Samoa Cookies (Copycat Girl Scout Cookie Recipe)
Did you make any of these recipes? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment below letting us know which one you made and how it turned out. Thank you!
